Garment having sleeves

ABSTRACT

An article of clothing includes long sleeves, for dressing the upper body of a baby or child. The article of clothing includes at least a front and back portion, shoulder portions connected to the front and back portions, and sleeves connected to the shoulder portions. Each of the sleeves includes a zipper portion extending along the sleeve and terminating at a distal end of the sleeve. The sleeve can be opened along the entire length of the zipper portion all the way to the shoulder portion, so that a person&#39;s arm can be maneuvered past the shoulder portion and into the sleeve portion with ease and facility. When the child&#39;s or baby&#39;s arm is completely inserted through the shoulder portion, the zipper member can be operated so that the sleeve is closed, thereby securing the baby&#39;s or child&#39;s arm in the sleeve.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved garment or article of clothing, having improved sleeves to facilitate dressing a baby or child.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Baby clothes and children's clothes are well known. Such clothes can include jumpers, jumpsuits, shirts, dresses, and other articles of clothing or garments having sleeves.

In dressing children, especially very young children and babies, it can be difficult to get the arms into and through the sleeves. This can make dressing a baby or child into a time consuming process.

It is accordingly a problem in the art to provide a garment or article of clothing which facilitates dressing of a child or a baby.

More particularly, it is a problem in the art to provide a garment or article of clothing which facilitates dressing of a child or a baby, in which the garment or article of clothing has sleeves which facilitate dressing of the child or baby.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

From the foregoing, it is seen that it is a problem in the art to provide a device meeting the above requirements. According to the present invention, a device and process are provided which meets the aforementioned requirements and needs in the prior art.

Specifically, the device according to the present invention provides a garment or article of clothing which facilitates dressing of a child or a baby.

More particularly, the device according to the present invention provides a garment or article of clothing which facilitates dressing of a child or a baby, in which the garment or article of clothing has sleeves which facilitate dressing of the child or baby.

The present invention includes an article of clothing which includes long sleeves, for dressing the upper body of a baby or child. The article of clothing includes at least a front and back portion, shoulder portions connected to the front and back portions, and sleeves connected to the shoulder portions. Each of the sleeves has a proximal end connected to the shoulder portion and a distal end, and has a longitudinal extent. Each of the sleeves respectively includes a zipper portion extending longitudinally along the sleeve beginning at a first location near the closest shoulder portion, and terminating at a second location at the distal end of the sleeve. A slider member, commonly known in the zipper arts, slides along the longitudinal extent of the zipper such that the zipper can open beginning at the distal end of the sleeve as far as the slider member is moved from the second location toward the first location along the zipper portion.

By the above configuration and elements, the sleeve can be opened along the entire length of the zipper portion all the way to the shoulder portion, so that a child's or baby's arm can be maneuvered past the shoulder portion and into the sleeve portion with ease and facility. When the child's or baby's arm is completely inserted through the shoulder portion, the zipper member can be operated so that the sleeve is closed, thereby securing the baby's or child's arm in the sleeve. The operation is repeated for the other sleeve, and the article of clothing is thereby quickly applied to the child or baby. The article of clothing can be removed by reversing the foregoing steps.

In the preferred embodiment, the article of clothing is a coat, shirt or top having a fastening means along the front central portion, such as buttons, laces, a zipper, or a hook-and-loop fastener material. Other such fastening means can be used, or the front central portion can already be completely closed such that no such fastening means is required along the front, such as would exist for a pullover sweater or pullover top. All such variations are contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention.

The present invention is not limited to a specific age group, and can be used or adapted for use by persons of all ages.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the article of clothing according to the present invention, schematically showing zippers along the sleeves thereof, once in a closed position and the other in an open position.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the zippered end of the sleeve, with the overlying cloth portions partially pulled away to expose the slider member.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1, showing the overlying portions in the cloth body of the sleeve.

FIG. 4 schematically shows an enlarged view of the teeth in the same edge-on view of FIG. 3, where it is seen that the teeth overlap when engaged with each other.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of an overlying connecting member which overlies a zipper tab, according to an additional embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of the member of FIG. 5 in a first position shown in solid outline and in a second position shown in dashed outline.

FIG. 7 is a schematic top elevational view of the member of FIGS. 5 and 6 with the overlying member secured to the sleeve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an article of clothing 100, having a main body portion 10 and schematically showing zippers 50 and 60 extending along sleeves 20 and 30 respectively longitudinally thereof. The zipper 50 is shown in a closed position, while the other zipper 60 is shown in an open position. The present invention is not limited to a specific age group, and can be used or adapted for use by persons of all ages.

The article of clothing 100 has shoulder portions 13 and 14 connected to the long sleeves 30 and 20 respectively, a left side portion 11 and a right side portion 12. The article of clothing 100 has buttons 15 and corresponding eyes 16 for receiving the buttons 15 to close the front of the article of clothing 100. The article of clothing 100 has a top end corresponding to the vicinity of the shoulder portions 13 and 14, and a bottom portion ending at a lowermost edge 17. The article of clothing 100 has a back portion 18, whereby the side portions 11 and 12 together with the back portion 18 connect the shoulder portions 13 and 14. The article of clothing 100 is intended for dressing the upper body of a baby or child.

The sleeve 20 extends from the shoulder portion 14, and the sleeve 30 extends from the shoulder portion 13. Each of the sleeves 20 and 30 has a respective proximal end connected to the respective shoulder portion, and each of the sleeves 20 and 30 also has corresponding respective distal ends 22 and 32. Each of the sleeves 20 and 30 has a longitudinal extent. The zipper portions 50 and 60 extend longitudinally along the respective sleeves 20 and 30, beginning at a first location near the closest shoulder portion, and terminating at a second location at the respective distal ends 22 and 32 of the sleeves 20 and 30.

Each of the zippers 50 and 60 includes a slider member 40 shown schematically in FIG. 1. The slider member 40 in FIG. 1 on the sleeve 20 is covered by overlying folds of cloth 26 and 28, in a manner known in the clothing arts for covering a zipper. The slider member 40 can slide along the longitudinal extent of the zipper 50 such that the zipper 50 can open beginning at the distal end of the sleeve 20 as far as the slider member is moved from the second location toward the first location along the zipper portion 50. The same applies to the other sleeve 30, where the slider member is also schematically shown (unnumbered on sleeve 30). The sleeve 20 has a cloth body 24.

By the above configuration and elements, the sleeve 20 can be opened along the entire length of the zipper portion 50 all the way to a region adjacent to the shoulder portion 14, so that a child's or baby's arm can be maneuvered past the shoulder portion 14 and into the sleeve portion 20 with easy and facility. The opened sleeve appears as shown at the sleeve 30 in FIG. 1, wherein the zipper portion 60 is opened and exposes the zippered halves 61 and 62. When the child's or baby's arm is completely inserted through the shoulder portion, the zipper member can be operated so that the sleeve is closed, thereby securing the baby's or child's arm in the sleeve. The operation is repeated for the other sleeve, and the article of clothing is thereby quickly applied to the child or baby. The article of clothing can be removed by reversing the foregoing steps.

In the preferred embodiment, the article of clothing is a coat, shirt or top having a fastening means along the front central portion, such as buttons, laces, a zipper, or a hook-and-loop fastener material. Other such fastening means can be used, or the front central portion can already be completely closed such that no such fastening means is required along the front, such as would exist for a pullover sweater or pullover top. All such variations are contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the zippered end of the sleeve 20, with the overlying cloth portions 26 and 28 partially pulled away to expose the slider member 40.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1, showing the overlying portions 26 and 28 in the cloth body 24 of the sleeve 20. The zipper 50 is shown having a left side tooth 51 and a right side tooth 52 with cloth connecting portions 53 and 54 underlying the zipper 50. Stitches 27 and 29 are shown schematically for securing the zipper 50 to the cloth body 24. Such a construction is commonly known in the zipper arts.

FIG. 4 schematically shows an enlarged view of the teeth 51 and 52 in the same edge-on view of FIG. 3, where it is seen that the teeth 51 and 52 overlap when engaged with each other. This is well known in zipper constructions.

By the above configuration and elements, the sleeve can be opened along the entire length of the zipper portion all the way to the shoulder portion, so that a child's or baby's arm can be maneuvered past the shoulder portion and into the sleeve portion with easy and facility. When the child's or baby's arm is completely inserted through the shoulder portion, the zipper member can be operated so that the sleeve is closed, thereby securing the baby's or child's arm in the sleeve. The operation is repeated for the other sleeve, and the article of clothing is thereby quickly applied to the child or baby. The article of clothing can be removed by reversing the foregoing steps.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of an overlying connecting member 500 which overlies a zipper tab 420 of the slider member 40, according to an additional embodiment of the invention. The slider member 40 has a slider body 410. The member 500 has a hook-type fastener surface, schematically shown in FIG. 5, corresponding to a typical type of hook-and-loop fastener materials, but with the loop portion omitted. The hook-type projections allow the member 500 to be detachably connected to a woven cloth material of the sleeves 20 and 30.

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of the slider member 40 of FIG. 5, having the zipper tab 420, slider body 410, and the overlying connecting member 500 attached to the zipper tab 420. The connecting member 500 is attached for movement with the tab 420 between a first position shown in solid outline and a second position shown in dashed outline. The first position corresponds to a position where the slider member 40 can be moved; the second position corresponds to a position where the slider member 40 is secured against movement by attachment of the overlying connecting member 500 to the fabric material of the garment, shown in FIG. 7 as discussed hereunder.

FIG. 7 is a schematic top elevational view of the member of FIGS. 5 and 6 with the overlying connecting member 500 secured to the fabric material 24 of the sleeve 20. The slider member 40 is shown in dashed outline in this view. The cloth overlying portions 26 and 28 will overlie most of the zipper 50, except where the zipper tab 420 protrudes therebetween. Because the overlying connecting member 500 has hook portions in contact with the fabric 24 of the sleeve 20 in the position shown in FIG. 7, the overlying connecting member 500 is secured to the fabric 24, thereby preventing movement of the slider member 40. This secures the zipper 50 in a closed position so that the sleeve does not inadvertently come open, yet allows quick and easy opening by simple manual raising of the zipper tab 420 of the slider member 40.

In the preferred embodiment, the article of clothing is a shirt or top. Other long sleeved garment types are also contemplated for this use, including dresses, coats, long sleeved jumpsuits, jumpers, blouses, tunics, long sleeved vests, long sleeved overalls, and long sleeved jackets, among others. All such variations are contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention.

The invention being thus described, it will be evident that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the claims. 

1. A garment for clothing children and babies, comprising: a garment body having a front portion and a back portion, two shoulder portions connected to the front and back portions, and two long sleeves connected to respective ones of the shoulder portions, each sleeve having a longitudinal extent and a respective distal end; each of the two long sleeves having a longitudinally extending zipper terminating at the distal end of each respective sleeve, such that an open position of the zipper facilitates entry of the arm of a child or baby into the sleeve, and after entry the zipper can be closed, thereby securing the arm in the sleeve.
 2. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment body takes the form of any of a dress, a coat, a long sleeved jumpsuit, a jumper, a blouse, a tunic, a long sleeved vest, long sleeved overalls, and a long sleeved jacket.
 3. A garment for clothing a person, comprising: a garment body having a front portion and a back portion, two shoulder portions connected to the front and back portions, and two long sleeves connected to respective ones of the shoulder portions, each sleeve having a longitudinal extent and a respective distal end; each of the two long sleeves having a longitudinally extending zipper terminating at the distal end of each respective sleeve, such that an open position of the zipper facilitates entry of the arm of a child or baby into the sleeve, and after entry the zipper can be closed, thereby securing the arm in the sleeve. 